Bravery
by iheartmyscarf
Summary: Neville and Luna walk together after the battle at Hogwarts, and discuss everything that's happened to them both.  Post DH NL


Okay, I love this pairing. I think it's the only one in Harry Potter that I support that isn't really canon. But you know, J.K. Rowling did say that she noticed a slight attraction between them in the last book. To me that's good enough.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, trust me, Luna/Neville **would** be canon.

Neville sat by the lake, staring into the water, reflecting on all that had happened to him . It seemed like all at once he had gone from being a bumbling nobody to one of Harry Potter's close friends. He had gone to the Ministry of Magic to head off Voldemort, last year had headed off the Death Eaters, and just recently had fought countless Death Eaters again at Hogwarts. During the last year, he had become more of a leader than he had ever been, since Harry Ron and Hermione had left Hogwarts. He had kept Dumbledore's Army strong, and had even killed Voldemort's Snake, Nagini. This was a huge achievement for the boy who could barely transfigure a turnip into a tea cozy, but for some reason, there was only one thing that he could concentrate on, and that was Luna Lovegood.

She was a very strange girl, but the quirks that most found weird and silly Neville found quite endearing. She was very optimistic, and though she was made fun of and sometimes alienated, she seemed to understand human nature impeccably. It was for this reason that she was able to comfort people, as she had countless times. Neville knew that quite a few people valued her as a friend, as he certainly did, but for some reason Luna still felt as if she didn't have any real lasting relationships. She had said that being in the D.A. was like having real friends, he knew because it was them who had missed the society the most. She did have friends, though, all of whom embraced her different way of thinking and her superstitions.

His train of thought was interrupted by a jingle of metal and footsteps, and he turned his head to see Luna walking towards him. He long blond hair was loose, and Neville noticed that she was wearing a large silver bracelet, with charms dangling off the sides. She waved, and skipped over to Neville, where she sat beside him.

"Hello, Neville!" She said brightly. Neville smiled. She had just made his day, though it made no sense to him why his insides felt as if they had just jumped out of his body.

"Hi, Luna." Luna looked at him, then to the lake.

"What are you staring at?" She asked. Neville pointed to some plants in the shallow bit of the water.

"I'm trying to figure out what they are," he said. Luna squinted.

"Seems to me that they're Stumpy Sea Cabbages," she said matter-of-factly. Neville frowned, confused. "Don't you know what they are?" He shook his head.

"Daddy told me all about them. You see, they have this scent that only Kelpies can smell, so they're drawn to them. They eat them, but they're extremely poisonous, so they die. It's too bad really, but I suppose it's good that all the Kelpies in this lake are gone, because they do have rather a liking for human flesh." She said all this very dreamily, as though she wasn't talking about the annihilation of a bloodthirsty magical creature.

They sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Neville spoke.

"Would you like to take a walk?" He asked. Luna nodded.

"Yes, I would," she said airily, and the two stood up. Neville didn't know exactly where they were going, but he was just happy to spend time with Luna. In the aftermath of all that had happened, with so many dead, Neville had found little reason to be happy. It was a big change for him to suddenly be happier than he had been for a long time, walking with Luna.

They walked around the grounds, talking about everything they had been through, both together and apart. Luna told Neville about her mother, and Neville told Luna about his parents. These were things both knew about each other, but it meant more that now that these secrets were being shared in private. The sun had begun to set, and Neville and Luna stopped walking to gaze at the sky. Luna was staring at it, and the sweetest of smiles on her lips she turned to Neville.

"Don't you wish life was always like this?" She said, a hint of sadness evident behind her smile. "Never any hurt, because we would only be with our friends." Neville looked at Luna, and a strange feeling of elation mixed with sorrow swept through him. He was sad for the fact that he knew the world would never be like that, but he was extremely content at this moment. He nodded, and said,

"I do wish we could always be happy, but everyone is hurt at a point, some more than others."

"People can be so unkind sometimes," Luna said, "But there are also the really nice people, who you can be friends with for life. People like you, Neville." Neville turned bright red, though it wasn't visible in the light of the sinking sun.

"Er... thanks, Luna..." He said quietly. Luna tilted her head curiously.

"I'm sorry, did that embarrass you?" She inquired. Neville shook his head hastily. Luna smiled.

"I don't believe you, but it's okay. You couldn't help it, and you were just trying to be nice." Neville smiled.

"Luna, it's fine. You know me, I'm always like that." He looked at her for a moment, and as he looked into her wide pale eyes, he felt all the feelings of the last three years welling up inside him.

"Luna, when you didn't come back to school, I was frightened. You and Ginny were the only two people who were really dedicated to the cause, in the beginning. I needed you. When Ginny left, it wasn't as bad, I knew she was with her family and I still had you. When you left, I had no idea whether you were okay or not, and I was alone. Everyone was looking up to me, and that was when I realized that I really needed you both with me, that I had no idea how to do it on my own. It was awful not knowing where you were, Luna, I was terrified that someday I would be listening to the radio, and they would say your name on the list of people killed. I really worried when the Quibbler started putting out anti-Potter issues. I had no idea what was going on. When you returned, I was so relieved, but Luna, you were imprisoned in a cellar for months, and I couldn't do anything! Do you know how awful that was? And when we were fighting, I didn't know who would be killed. For some reason, I never realized that we were all in danger, not just the adults. Students died, and were injured. Lavender Brown, she was attacked by Fenrir Greyback. Lucky that Hermione saved her, but some people were beyond saving. Colin Creevey... Oliver and I found him on the grounds, just lying there... it was awful. Fred Weasley, he was just 20. Barely an adult. Voldemort is dead, but we lost so much, and I was so scared I would lose you. I don't think I could handle that, Luna." Luna looked at him with bright eyes.

"I was scared too, Neville. When I was imprisoned, all I could think about was all my friends, and Daddy. But sometimes, I didn't think about anything, because I didn't want to hurt anymore. I'm tired of hurt, and I missed everyone. But I couldn't stop believing that everyone I loved was okay, because if everyone refused to believe, then nothing would happen. I think it's better to believe something that might not exist than nothing at all, because really, everything can exist until there is absolute proof that it doesn't. That's what Daddy always said. And I was rescued, and while I was staying at Shell Cottage, I thought of you. I wondered how you were doing at school, and I felt sad because I couldn't help. And when I came to Hogwarts, I was trying so hard not to be scared. Remember when we went to the Ministry, and in that room there was the Veil? This was so different. When Sirius Black fell, there was nothing we could do. He just fell, and we couldn't prevent it. Here, we had more of a chance to save people. I didn't want to make a mistake and have someone die because of me. My mother, she made a mistake. But Neville, you didn't. You were wonderful." She didn't smile as she said this, but her whole being radiated a warmth that Neville could almost feel. He didn't feel so warm, though. Instead, he felt sick and guilty.

"If I was a bit more wonderful, I could have helped Harry, Ron and Hermione more. I would have made less mistakes." Luna looked puzzled.

"Neville, why do you think that it's all your fault? You did so much for all of us, you killed that snake, and when Voldemort was trying to get you on his side, you stood up to him. He set you on fire, and you refused to back down. You kept us all together during the year, and when the Carrows were torturing everyone, you stood up to them, too. I think that really scared them, having someone fighting back. If I were them, I would be scared, because it would mean that I wasn't successfully keeping everyone under control. They had no power over you, and that inspired everyone else to speak out as well. They slowly lost control over the students, and all because of you." She looked at him, and her eyes welled with tears.

"Neville, you have to know that..." she whispered, and tears rolled down her pale cheeks. It was the first time Neville had ever seen her cry. He at once felt as if he were being torn apart. He pulled her into a tight hug, a gesture he never would have dared do only a year before. He felt warm tears at the corners of his own eyes, but didn't want them to fall into her beautiful hair. After what seemed like forever they broke apart, and Luna wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Neville. I must seem so odd to you, crying for no reason. It's alright if you do, a lot of people think that. I don't really mind, though, they can believe what they want to. They've never made me stop believing what I believe." Neville's heart swelled.

"I wouldn't care even if you were the weirdest person on the planet, Luna, you're one of my best friends." Luna's eyes got even wider than usual.

"Oh Neville, that's lovely of you to say." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

"You've gotten really tall, Neville," she said, back to her airy self. " I think I'll go to bed. Good night, Neville."

"Good night, Luna." He watched her walk across the now darkened grounds,the girl that he was sure he was in love with. _She called me brave, and wonderful, but if I was really so brave, I would have told her how I really feel, _he thought to himself. As he walked back to the castle, he couldn't quite work out how he felt. Part of him was happy that he had spent time with Luna, and she had kissed his cheek, but another part of him ached at Luna's sadness, and the lingering pain that the battle had left him with. Was he brave? He wasn't sure. Luna had said that he was, but he had a few lingering doubts. One thing he was sure of, however, was that even though he didn't know what true bravery was, exactly, it seemed to him that Luna Lovegood was a perfect example.

How was that? Will you review if I say pretty please with a cherry on top?


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